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Nurture These Five Traits to Find Your Career Success

Client Services Director, Liz Newnham shares which five traits she has nurtured whilst working in recruitment to help her move up in her career.

When you’ve worked in recruitment for as long as I have, you never forget a face – or a personality. From peers and mentors from your organisation to clients and candidates vying for vacancies, I’ve had the good fortune to come across many people who’ve mentored my own professional growth as well as many other around them.

As a 2019 resolution I’ve decided to take a page from some of my mentors and put what they preach into practice. When I reflect on those who’ve inspired me, it’s often not key individuals themselves but traits they demonstrated that I find admirable. As such, I’ve focused on the traits that have taken my career, as well as those who’ve worked for me, up the corporate ladder:

Be articulate

Individuals who are able to articulate a huge amount of industry knowledge in a manner that’s both clear and concise are engaging, interesting and inspiring. Presentation skills are exactly that – a skill. They require constant effort and determination, regardless of your role or the stage of your career. Ensure you’re fully equipped with all the information you need, because if you can fall back on facts when pressed, that’ll ultimately help build your confidence.

Be a social butterfly

Invest the time in getting to know everybody around you. I truly mean everyone – it’ll pay off! Your junior and senior peers, your mentors, the colleagues you come across in the kitchen but aren’t entirely sure what they do – go find out! Everyone has a different set of strengths and skills in development areas and it can help you elevate your career. Take the time to get to know people – you’ll be shocked at how much they can help you in your path forward as long as you reciprocate.

Be confident

You are capable - remember that. When it comes to insecurity, we’re wracked with it, especially when you’re moving into a new role or taking on new responsibilities. Some call it “impostor-syndrome”, but whatever name you decide to give it, relish in the fact that you’re exactly where you should be. Your hiring manager didn’t just haphazardly select you - you were capable and smart enough to do the job and do it well.

Be flexible

When you set your boundaries, you’re actually being flexible. Your home life and work life should remain separate. At Resource Solutions, we know that our employees have passions and commitments that don’t take form in the shape of work. I work full-time and do one day a week from home – and it’s often the same day I’ll do from home each week. My team, both junior and senior know this, and as a result there’s a balanced give-and-take we come to expect and respect from each other. When your home life is feeling fulfilled, then I know you’re coming to work (remotely or otherwise) refreshed, ready and willing.

Be a team player

In the UK, we’re taking strides in our battle to get to a point of gender equality in the workplace. At Resource Solutions, if you take a look at the division of male and female employees, I’d say we’re doing even better. Archaic views of women in the workplace are still prevalent in certain industries. I experienced this earlier in my career, especially in the world of recruitment, from both men and women. As women, we can be our own worst enemy, because we’ve been engendered to think of the workplace as a competitive field where only a certain number of women can hold senior positions. That certainly isn’t the case – the onus is on us women always helping other women on their career path upward.

Resource Solutions is a growing organisation. Our footprint has grown exponentially in the past few years and I’m a big believer in investing time in people. We’re a people-based industry and this is 2019 – so let’s push people forward and support them wherever we can.